It is, perhaps, not good literary style to begin an essay with a negative but this essay has everything to do with life and nothing to do with a Last Will and Testament. It does deal with beginnings, however, and I think it finds its genesis with the first microbes on the ocean floor near those heat giving tubules billowing out energy form the center of the earth.

Identifying and linking the 'Will to Live" is the focus of this essay and it seems to me same is a great constant of life from moment one. Is it possible that life could go on without "The Will to Live"? It would seem impossible for me to imagine life surviving without 'the will to live' as a constant from its origin.

In the last century, I see three great minds setting forth major contributions in the evolution of this vision. The first was Arthur Schopenhauer. He was apparently the first to set forth 'The Will to Live' as the core for which all other psycho-social-intellectual-sexual-emotions stem.

Upon discussing my ideas with an old friend who is an extremely well read intellectual, he was the one that gave me the idea that Schopenhauer should have top billing if for no other reason than he was at the chronological origin.

Next comes an Englishman that I have called an intellectual hero since college. Charles Darwin's voyage around the world doing research, data and specimen collecting etc. has seldom, if ever, found its equal in adding to the intellectual evolution of mankind.

To quote Darwin is to understand we stand in the shadow of his grand contribution to the mind of us all. 'The Will to Live' is the most powerful force in all living things. What a powerful perspective! Also, it is an extremely sad thing when the will to live is driven down so forcefully that an individual contemplates suicide. Last, I wish to share a prejudice of mine that deals with the third man I want to add to the great minds enumerated above. To place all three in order is simple 1. Arthur Schopenhauer, 2. Charles Darwin, 3. Albert Schweitzer.

Schweitzer is an intellectual and moral giant. He loved learning and serving. However, it should be noted here that Monsieur Albert, as he preferred to be addressed, had Charles Darwin as a hero. Schweitzer served for over a half century as a medical missionary (self appointed...long story) in Africa and he considered Africa his home and he and Helena are buried there. In spite of his great life of service, he saw the great potential of one simple phrase to hopefully have a perpetual influence on history which is, in German "Ehrfurcht vor dem leben," Reverence for all LIFE. Is not 'life' encompassed by the Will to Live?

Schweitzer may have said it best: "I am life that wills to live in the midst of life that wills to live." True or not, all religion confirms the will to live via a soul.

IMPERIALISM, THE HIGHEST STAGE OF CAPITALISM
Have you pondered the recent openings of McDonalds in Tokyo
and Moscow, or Disneyworld near Paris? How many people on every
continent drive a Japanese or German automobile with computer chips
from the U.S.? Shoes are made in Brazil, Portugal, etc. Clothes
come from Mexico, Malaysia, etc.
A list of foreign investors and modern capitalistic market
expansion like the above could probably go on almost indefinitely.
However, to understand this modern economic aggression, I may have
some insight to share.
More years ago than I care to mention I was a young graduate
student seeking to understand that which I couldn't understand,
socialism. V. I. Lenin was a socialist revolutionary living in
Switzerland when he wrote a small book in 1917 while in self
imposed exile during the Bolshevik Revolution. I borrowed the
title of his book for this essay.
Basically, this book developed the idea that seemed a logical
consequence of the Malthusian theory developed by Rev. Thomas
Malthus. The Malthusian theory was that as a country became over
populated, economic forces brought pressure on the government and
capitalist powers that be, to look for relief through the
acquisition of its weakest or conquerable neighbor. Adolph
Hitler's 'Lebensraum' is a most glaring modern example. Said
acquisition meant war which meant a reduction in population with
the death of soldiers which also meant a reduction of males to sire
new burdens to the over-population problem. Also Lenin built a
parallel theory which basically said that true~laissez faire (hands
off) capitalism would produce corporations that would compete for
king of the mountain of the economic base of their country. Once
this single corporation had bankrupted or acquired all of its
competitors, then it would control the entire country with the most
powerful weapon of all, money. Lenin seemed to fear the economic
social Darwinism that his generation bantered about. Once this
giant megacorporation had conquered all, stood tall and surveyed
the horizon, it was only natural to say "lets take over our
neighbors so we can have new markets to conquer."
Lenin's thesis was plausible, but if you were to consider the
U.S. as a significant example, this theory begins to break down.
Teddy Roosevelt, after the turn of this century, saw the emergence
of these giant corporations and set out on his trust busting era
which was designed to keep them competing and subsequently at arms
length from a monopoly. Thus, from my perspective, had Lenin
written his little book thirty years earlier, I would have
considered it particularly insightful, but if you look at the U.S.
it seems a thoughtful society will attempt to adjust and correct
for the developing imbalances and abuses in capitalism. The U.S.
today has something of a controlled capitalism as opposed to hands
off, laissez faire capitalism. In fact, not controlling capitalism
is a truly scary thought.
Having the privilege of an additional 3/4's of a century to
look back and gauge the significance of his book, it seems easy to
say that perhaps he had his heart in the right place because he
seemed to want money to serve people rather than people to serve
money and monied interests. But, he was prej udiced in his
objective which left his logic lacking.
Today, however, there is a new dimension to this picture which
seems to totally change the perspective herein developed. The U.S.
and the UN as well as most of this worlds countries at large seem
to want peace. It seems in their best interest to not go to war.
With this outbreak of peace or at least peace movements, perhaps a
good question to ask is, 'Has time and circumstance forced
capitalism to a new era?' If Malthus had some truth in his theory,
then if war is eliminated (for whatever reason) as a possibility
for acquiring desired weal th and resources, then what avenue do you
take to accomplish the standard capitalist goal of profits, wealth
and resources? The answer seems to be market expansion. Look at
the tobacco industry and its market thrust into third world
countries and maybe the biggest market prize of all, China. How
many McDonalds and other capitalist franchises can be found in this
world outside their home based country? Is not that "sucking
sound" ofjobs going to Mexico, etc. founded on the capitalist
profit motive? Not only is the labor less expensive but so is
capital expenditures.
In conclusion, it is obvious that nothing stays the same and
that the evolution of capitalism is certainly at a new level. From
my perspective, I think if anyone was to write a book on this
subject today, it probably should be titled, Capitalism, the
Highest Stage of Imperialism.

If you would like to have a 10 min. video to possibly give a more comprehensive view of my position on societal improvement via the elimination of capital punishment, my 10 min segment in the debate seemed to steal the show.

If you would like to have a 10 min. video to possibly give a more comprehensive view of my position on societal improvement via the elimination of capital punishment, my 10 min segment in the debate seemed to steal the show.

If you would like to have a 10 min. video to possibly give a more comprehensive view of my position on societal improvement via the elimination of capital punishment, my 10 min segment in the debate seemed to steal the show.

About this Website

I have for many years thought I should write a psychological autopsy of my life because it might help others who have had evolving pains in their life. However, in my quest to be intellectually honest with myself, the discipline to do such a project is more than I care to muster. What you have here is some written insight into me and it is a surrogate autobiography. It is my sincere desire that a few glimpses of my rather wretched childhood can be garnered (if you are looking for them) and know that something good bloomed along with the heart ache. The world needs a hug and I do dearly love to tell jokes which is my way of giving a psychological hug to lots of people. You might try it. Same, may help you to feel good too. I sincerely hope you enjoy and learn and I am sure feedback will help me learn too. This insurance agent of 4 decades says Thanks, Ross